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My First Job: Gottlieb predicts Patriots doomed with Brady at QB; Set to debut new CBS Sports Network show Monday

Doug Gottlieb is ready to roll on his new gig with CBS. Monday, he will debut a new show, Lead Off, on CBS Sports Network. Airing at Midnight ET, the nightly program will focus on the next day’s conversation in sports (Details below).

Also, Gottlieb soon will have an afternoon show on the new CBS Sports Radio Network and he will be part of CBS’ NCAA tournament coverage.

Now that he has reached the top, it seems to be a good time to reflect on how he got started. Gottlieb has come a long way since his days as a guard at Oklahoma State. Even back then, he was thinking about a career in broadcasting.

In the latest edition of My First Job, Gottlieb recalls his first jobs in the business and how he was just slightly off on his first prediction about a back up quarterback named Tom Brady.

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When I was in school, I did some guest-hosting with Jim Traber in Oklahoma City. Then when I got out, I filled him for him. I got $100 per show, and $200 for a remote.

Also, I went on Jim Rome’s show as his college basketball analyst. Todd Wright at ESPN always had me on his all-night show.

My first show for ESPN Radio was filling in for Todd. They wanted him to go to Bristol the first week after 9/11. He wouldn’t go on a plane, so they asked me.

I watched all the (NFL) games on that Sunday. Drew Bledsoe got hurt that day. I said, ‘That’s it. The Patriots are finished. They can’t win with a quarterback who never played before.’ I had never heard of Tom Brady. So much for that prediction.

After I was done playing, ESPN called and asked if I wanted to do an audition. My first game was with Dave Revsine. It was Colorado-UNC Charlotte. We thought we killed it. We emptied our notebooks and gave everything we had.

When we got back, (a top executive) said, “You guys were horrible. You talked too much. You talked over each other.”

OK, that’s a nice start.

I eventually got on TV at ESPNNews. Then I did some stuff at ESPNU. I did a month of shows I believe nobody ever saw. Literally, there was one show where the lights went out on camera. But we kept going with the lights off. It was a memorable night, to say the least.

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Here are the details of Gottlieb’s new show from CBS:

CBS Sports Network’s new live, late night show, LEAD OFF, which will air weekdays from 12:00-1:00 AM, ET, debuts Monday, Oct. 22. The show has added Allie LaForce as co-host, teaming with Doug Gottlieb. LEAD OFF will feature commentary and debate on the top stories and news with a focus on the next day’s conversation.

Gottlieb and LaForce will lead off together this week as contributors on ROME, which airs on CBS Sports Network from 6:00-6:30 PM, ET.

LaForce previously worked for Fox 8 News inCleveland,Ohioas a sports anchor, as well as a color analyst and sideline reporter for the regional sports network SportsTimeOhio. She also has been a studio host covering the Mid-American Conference and various high school championships.

LaForce graduated magna cum laude from Ohio University’s Honors Tutorial College with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. She was a member of theOhioUniversitywomen’s basketball team for two years, before leaving to start her broadcasting career. In 2005, LaForce was named Miss Teen USA, the first winner from the state of Ohio.

LEAD OFF will provide perspective on the sports news of the day, advancing the storylines fans will be discussing in the morning. The show will serve as the first opportunity for sports fans to discuss and debate, ‘What’s next?’, while featuring a mix of live guests, highlights, energetic debate and commentary from Gottlieb, LaForce and others, reacting tothe biggest stories and events of the day, with a targeted focus on the hot topics and tomorrow’s headlines.

LEAD OFF will be produced by dick clark productions, and originate from CBS Sports Network’s Orange County, California-based studio.